Chapter 130 Running into Jackson
After about an hour at the bar, Matthew felt it was time to go. Seeing them getting ready to leave, the rest of the group decided to follow suit, and they all headed towards the exit together.
Since Madison hadn't had a drink, she was the designated driver. She and Matthew said their goodbyes and left without any problems. The others, who had been drinking, normally drove themselves. The remaining seven members of their group split into three cars and called for sober drivers.
Liam, with Ophelia in tow, soon followed suit. Mitchell and Daniel shared a ride, both heading back to the Cunningham's place. Victor, who hadn't driven, had gotten a lift from the office with Mitchell earlier and now hopped into a ride home with Patrick, who also kindly offered to drop off Willow.
Once everyone had their departure plans set, the sober drivers arrived promptly, and the group dispersed.
Before they went their separate ways, Daniel pulled Willow Nelson aside and said in a hushed tone, "Hey, Willow, hit me up when you go to that basketball game. Wouldn't mind watching the school's fresh-faced young talent breaking a sweat on the court."
Willow Nelson glanced up and caught sight of Mitchell looming nearby. Feeling unnervingly guilty, she rushed Daniel toward his ride. "Yeah, got it, got it. The driver's here—hop in already."
Mitchell fixed a seemingly emotionless gaze on Willow Nelson. They had barely exchanged words that evening. Typically a man of few words, Mitchell's silence was compounded by Willow Nelson's noticeable avoidance as she either chatted with Daniel, heatedly engaged with Madison and others, or scrolled through Skype on her phone.
Willow pretended not to notice his stare and ducked behind Patrick, seeking refuge. "Hey, has the driver arrived?"
Patrick glanced at his phone to check the status. "Should be here in two minutes. I'll take you home first with my older brother."
Daniel, urged by Mitchell, finally got in the car. As they pulled up beside Patrick's vehicle, Daniel rolled down the window and shouted, "Remember to let me know, Willow!"
Willow Nelson nodded noncommittally in response.
Couldn't she see her brother sitting right there, stewing with a face dark as thunder? Yet here she was, getting dragged into the drama by her so-called best friend!
Madison carefully drove Matthew's Rolls-Royce back to The Old Residence. By the time they arrived, everyone else was sound asleep.
Madison parked the car while Matthew, who'd had a few drinks but could still walk all right, stepped out alongside her. Hand in hand, they walked into the house together.
Matthew's face was flushed from the alcohol, giving him a rosy, innocent look that smoothed out his usually sharp features. He looked almost like an effortlessly charming gentleman from the pages of a classic novel.
Once indoors, Madison told Matthew to head upstairs while she dashed to the kitchen to prepare a cup of soothing honey water for him.
She carried it upstairs, entering the room just as Matthew was shedding his suit jacket to reveal a blue shirt that now seemed a bit too snug. It used to hang loosely on him, but now it hugged his frame, accentuating slight newfound curves.
He seemed even more princely with his improved physique.
"Honey, what are you staring at?" Matthew asked as Madison approached with the honey water, her gaze fixed on him. He looked down at himself, puzzled, not seeing anything amiss – what had captured her attention so intensely?
"Matthew, you've got to see this without the jacket. You've definitely put on some weight." Madison muttered. Matthew's mood darkened. He didn't care what others thought, but hearing it from his wife felt like a personal jab.
Madison, with a glass of honey water in hand, quickly joined him, trying to cheer him up with her charm and playfulness. She jokingly pinched and rolled his cheeks, even teasing his waist and measuring its size with her hands.
"It's nice, actually. You're even cozier to cuddle now," Madison said with a smile.
Matthew's frown melted away at her words, and he downed the honey water in one gulp.
Deep down, Madison knew his busy schedule might soon whittle him back to his former self, so she figured she should start looking into recipes that were both nutritious and healthy.
After his honey water, Matthew headed off to shower while Madison checked on Quentin and Hannah Garcia, their children, making sure they were settled.
Finally, both washed up and in bed, the night had grown late. They held each other close, drifting off to a dreamless sleep.
*
Willow Nelson didn't respond to Jay Law's message at the bar about attending a basketball game. To her surprise, once she got home, he didn't wait long before sending another message via Skype.
Jay: [Hey, are you busy? It would help if you came to the game.]
Although she had been drinking that evening and felt slightly dizzy, Willow was clear-headed as she lay in bed typing her reply.
Willow: [Not sure if I can make it, but I'll be there if I'm free.]
The response was instant.
Jay: [Great, I'm looking forward to it!]
He hadn't quite caught her conditional acceptance and took it as confirmation that she would attend.
Willow Nelson didn't bother responding to any more texts. She couldn't muster the energy to think and simply fell into bed and slept.
The following morning, Daniel's call jolted her awake. "Willow, are you up? Come on, get out of bed. We're hitting the shops today."
Groggily, Willow picked up the phone, not even managing to say "hello" before Daniel's chipper voice filtered through.
"Don't you ever sleep in? How can you be so perky on such a beautiful weekend?"
She remembered they had all been drinking last night. How could he be so energetic? Willow resisted with all her might—the cozy warmth of her bed was too tempting. She didn't want to go shopping; she just wanted to sleep in!
"I shook off last night's drinks a while back. My brother was already off to the office for overtime when I woke up. Why waste a gorgeous weekend in bed when there's fun to be had out there?"
"I'm really tired. I can't get up." Willow complained, her eyes still shut. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she didn't want to open them.
"Come on, get up already, or I'm coming over to drag you out," Daniel threatened.
"Fine, give me one more hour," Willow conceded. If she didn't get up, she was sure Daniel would indeed come over, given his unnerving enthusiasm and determination for a shopping spree.
"Cool, see you in an hour at the Town Center Plaza."
After hanging up, Willow tossed her phone aside and dozed for another thirty minutes before forcing herself up. She spent a quick ten minutes getting ready and hopped into a taxi to reach the plaza just in time.
Daniel had arrived five minutes early, and it was nearly noon. The two planned to grab a bite before diving into a shopping expedition.
"What are you in the mood for? Lunch is on me today," Daniel said, draping an arm around Willow.
"Lucky me," Willow quipped in return.
They settled on having hot pot for lunch and unexpectedly bumped into Jackson and his classmates at the restaurant.
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